Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-11
WASHINGTON.
Texas Man Will Probably b. Appoint
ed IS One OF the Inter State
Commerce Commissioners.
The Senate RI jects tbs Nomination of Mat
thews as Recorder of Deeds of
this District of Columbia.
REAGAN AT TIE CAPITAL.


| Special to the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.-Congressman
and Senator-elect Reagan returned here
last night. He was warmly greeted by
his legion OF friends in Washington. He
is in good health and spirits. In reply to
your correspondents questions as to his
naming one Of the Interstate commerce
commissioners, he said: 81 have given
the matter no attention. have only
Just returned, and have not
seen anybody. l will of course
consult the Texas Delegation. YOu can
say, however, tina. the man we will rec
ommend will be Texan" Mr.. Reagan
will undoubtedly have considerable in
fiueDce with the President, and his>sug
gestions as to the makeup of the CON-
mission will be duly considered. IsS3s
only just and proper that the PFesiden5
should accord this courtesy to the5prig-
inator OF this important measure.
AN INSULT TO THE PRESIDENT.
WASHINGTON, Feb. THE document
prepared by Senator Ingalls, and offered
in the shape of a resolution, regarding the
rejection by the Senate of the nomination
of Mathews as Recorder of Deeds of the
District of Columbia, was to-day adopted
by the Senate, % to is, g party vote, and
will be sent to the President with the re-
lection. The document is in part as fol-
lows: The President attempts to Justify
the denomination of Mr.. Mathews by
stating
l. That the fitness of nominee has been
demonstrated.
- no t,raUiauS m ~
appointment among the citizens of the dis
trict has largely subsidized.
3. That he desires to tender Just recog-
milton and good faith toward our colored
citizens.
4. 1t is sufficient answer to the first two
reasons alleged to say that neither could
could have heen applicable when Mathews
was appointed IN August Immediately
after the adjournment Of the Senate, for
at that time his fitness had not been
demonstrated, nor had there been
any interval for the local opposition
to subside. Until suggested by the Presi-
dent, the Senate was not aware that the
question of just recognition or good faith
to our colored fellow-citizens was in
volved in the question, and it has never
before been ureed that person nom
inatad for an Office should be confirmed
or rejected because he was black or
white. This classification has been
abolished by amendments of the
constitution and is no longer
properly to be recognized in dealing with
public affairs. The Senate, however, in
view of the message of the President,
would apprise him, since he has raised
the race issue, that Frederick Douglas, it
was understood, resigned the Office OF
Recorder of Deeds in the District of
Columbia in order that James c. Mathews
might be appointed to the place.
Without doubt Frederick Douglas is the
most distinguished representative Of the
colored race, not in this country Only, but
in the world. Just recognition would
have been rendered to other colored fel-
low citizens by the retention OF Freder-
lex Douglas rather than by his en-
forced retirement in order TO reward
an unknown and obscure partisan who
had never been q slave and therefore
represented the enfranchised race only
by accident of color. The devotion of
the President to the political and civil ad-
vancement Of the cOlored race might have
been equally attested and good faith might
have been as strongly evinced by the
retention of Douglas in office whose
duties ne was dischargiGg to the satisfac
tion Of the people, unless it is to be IN
derstood that just recognition is TO be
rendered only the members of that race